BACKGROUND: The use of collar ornamentation on military uniforms was
utilized by numerous assorted nations with the main function being the
indication of the wearer’s rank and/or branch of service. The German army had
a tradition, dating from the 1700's, of maintaining a separate branch of
Administrative Officials attached to the army to oversee all administrative
functions, thus freeing up active army Officers and allowing them to concentrate
on actual military matters. The Officials were responsible for a wide variety of
administrative tasks from Court Martial, Librarian, Supply, Technical and
Meteorological Services, to School, Barracks, and Hospital administration. Most
Officials careers consisted of four varying grades, of high, elevated, medium
and low grade with slightly differing identifying insignia for each grade. The
grade of the career was determined by the education and/or the experience of the
individual. Originally the uniformed Officials were allotted an identifying dark
green branch of service color, (waffenfarbe), with a nebenfarbe, (secondary
color), to indicate their actual career. Regulations of March 21ST 1940,
replaced the assorted nebenfarbe colors with a secondary color of light grey for
all Officials regardless of career or function. Forestry and hunting in Germany
enjoys a long, illustrious history and tradition that continues to the present
day. On July 8TH 1933 Hermann Göring was appointed as Reichsforst und
Jägermeister, (National Forestry and Hunting Master), as head of the,
Reichsforstamt, (National Forestry Department), in charge of administration of
all aspects of forestry and hunting including the development, maintenance and
conservation of all the forests and wild game within Germany. The Reichsforstamt
was sub-divided into four main departments of; Gemeinde Forst Dienst, (General
Forestry Service), Privat Forst Dienst, (Private Forestry Service), Heeres Forst
Dienst, (Army Forestry Service), and the Luftwaffe Forst Dienst, (Air-force
Forestry Service). Each of the four main departments of the Forestry Service
were responsible for forested areas and wild life that fell under their direct
control and with the Army Forestry Service that primarily consisted of training
and exercise areas. All four of the main forestry departments followed the
directives and regulations as laid out by the National Forestry Department.
Although the Heeres Forst Verwaltung, (Army Forest Administration), later
re-designated, Heeres Forst Dienst, (Army Forestry Service), was classed as an
Administrative branch of the army the service clothing and insignia were a
departure from the uniforms and insignia as worn by other army Administrative
personnel. Personnel serving in all four of the forestry departments were
allotted service clothing with unique insignia with minor variations.
Regulations of the National Forestry Department dated April 22ND 1938 introduced
new service clothing items and insignia and the four forestry departments all
followed suit shortly afterwards. The new, (circa 1938), service clothing and
insignia items were utilized for the duration of the war. Of Note: The Heeres
Forst Dienst position of Revierförster, was an elevated career, which required
at least a high school education and two or three years of practical training
and the position was equivalent to the army rank of Oberleutnant.

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